


Is that the way it ought to stay?

by shocked_into_shame



Series: The Adventures of Billy, Steve, & Lars [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Fights, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 18:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18349460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shocked_into_shame/pseuds/shocked_into_shame
Summary: Things come to a head when Steve confronts Billy about telling the kids about them. And while Billy has changed a lot, there are still traces of anger left in him.





	Is that the way it ought to stay?

**Author's Note:**

> I thought the characters were too rainbows and smiles so I tried to make them less rainbows and smiles
> 
>  
> 
> And then in the end they were all rainbows and smiles again anyway so
> 
> Enjoy

****

“You know,” Steve mutters, absentmindedly fiddling with Billy’s ring as they sit together on the couch, Lars’ sleeping by Billy’s side. A late night show Steve doesn't care about plays on the TV. “The kids are getting suspicious, I think.”

“Oh?” Billy asks, his eyebrows shooting up to his forehead, a sly smile on his face. “How so?”

“Well…” Steve trails off, trying to figure out how to word this so as not to make Billy catatonic. “Dustin kind of asked me. If we were together.” 

Billy’s smile drops. His eyebrows flatten to a thin line and his blue eyes grow cold. Steve feels dread in the pit of his stomach. “And what did you say to him?” 

“I told him…” Steve gulps as Billy looks at him intensely. “I told him that we were. Are... Together. No big deal.” Everything about Steve’s posture, the way he says it, makes it seems like it  _ is _ a big deal. And it is. 

“You told him…” Billy starts, looking forward. “You told him we were together.” It’s not a question. It’s an accusation. 

“Yeah,” Steve shrugs.

Billy pulls his hand out of Steve’s grasp slowly. Steve feels like he is about to break out in a cold sweat. “Did it ever occur to you to ask me first before you went and told him that shit?”

“I didn’t think you’d mind,” Steve defends. Lars has perked up now and hopped down from the couch, stretching on the floor and yawning. “Dustin’s cool. And he’s my friend. I was tired of hiding you from him.” 

Billy scoffs, shaking his head. “I can’t fucking believe this. How could you, Steve?”

“How could I  _ what _ ? Talk to my friend about my boyfriend? What the hell are you so angry about?”

Billy turns rapidly, a wild look in his eyes. For the first time in what seems like forever, Steve feels a flash of fear because of Billy. It makes him feel sick to his stomach. “You can’t just go spreading that shit around. My  _ dad _ could find out.” 

“And if he did?” Steve questions. “You’re an adult. You don’t even live with him. And… and it's not like I want you to tell the whole world! But I think our friends deserve to know. And they can keep a secret. What is there to be afraid of?”

“I don’t get you, Harrington,” Billy responds incredulously, shaking his head. “What universe are you living in in that pea brain of yours?” The insult makes Steve flinch. “You think all your kiddie friends are just going to accept it with open arms? People aren’t  _ cool _ with people like us. My dad absolutely hates  _ faggots _ .” 

“Jesus, Billy,” Steve stands up, rubbing at his hair violently. “Why would you use a word like that?”

“It’s what we are, isn’t it? A couple of fags?” Billy leans back and lights a cigarette, puffing at it. 

“That’s a horrible thing to say.”

“Maybe,” Billy responds, his voice going down low, grumbly. “But it’s the truth. And my dad would fucking kill me for it.” 

“You’re delusional, Billy,” Steve crosses his arms. “You’re delusional if you don’t think people already  _ know _ .” 

“Who else knows?”

“Well…” Lars ambles up to Steve and sits as his feet, presses his entire weight to him like an anchor. “Mrs. Byers.” 

“Un-fucking-believable,” Billy stands, then, and even though he’s slightly shorter he seems to tower over Steve. “You told Joyce?”

“No!” Steve insists. “She guessed it all on her own!” 

Billy rolls his eyes, taking another angry drag of his cigarette. “You really expect me to believe that shit? Listen, when my dad comes barreling back into my life because of this, it’s going to be your fault.” Billy points a threatening finger in Steve's direction.

“Don’t be such a fucking coward!” Steve exclaims, blurting it out. And then a stream begins that he can’t stop. “You’re like a little boy, so scared of your dad. Newsflash, Billy! My parents wouldn’t be happy about this either. But I’m not so fucking scared of them that I let it rule my life!” 

“Fuck you,” Billy growls out, stepping into Steve’s space menacingly. “You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.” 

“I do, Billy. I know you are a coward. And you’re ashamed of being with me.” 

Billy grits his teeth and makes a fist, and Steve prepares himself for the punch. And then it doesn’t happen, because Lars is growling loudly at Billy, baring his teeth. Billy drops his fist where it hangs in the air and his entire body relaxes. He steps back, his eyes wide, and he stares at Steve in shock. Steve looks down at the dog, who has stopped growling but still stares intensely at Billy, putting himself between the two of them.

“Fuck,” Billy grinds out, rubbing at his face. “I have to go.”

“Go, then. Get the fuck out.” 

Billy looks down at the floor and takes another puff of his cigarette. “Fine. C’mon, Lars. Let's go home.” 

Lars stays grounded to his spot at Steve’s feet. He howls in protest. 

“C’mon, boy. Time to go.” Billy waves for the dog to follow, but he just edges even closer to Steve, putting the full weight of his body against Steve’s legs. “Fine,” Billy exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. “Stay with Steve, then. Fuck if I care.” 

Steve stares at him mouth agape, watches on in shock as he leaves the house and slams the door on his way out. And immediately Steve is breaking down, ugly crying in a heap on the floor. Lars sits in his lap, licks his face, trying to comfort him. It doesn’t work, not really, but Steve wraps his arms around him anyway, burying his face in his fur as sobs wrack his frame. 

* * *

Billy disappears for a few days after that. Doesn’t show up to work, doesn’t come back to Steve’s house. Doesn’t answer his phone even after Steve calls it about 20 times in one night. He leaves voicemail after voicemail until Billy’s machine is full.

_ “It’s Steve. I need to talk to you.” _

_ “Lars isn’t upset anymore, okay? Everytime I say your name he wags his tail. He misses you.” _

_ “Billy, it wasn’t right of me to tell Dustin. It wasn’t right of me to call you a coward. Please call me back.” _

_ “I am worried about you, Billy. Please let me know you are okay.” _

No answer. No call back. It makes Steve worry, wonder if something horrible and awful happened to Billy. He feels so fucking grateful that Lars his here with him, sleeping in bed with him at night. Occupying the space where Billy is supposed to be. 

Steve is jolted out of his thoughts by the ring of his telephone. He rushes to it and picks it up, immediately asking, “Billy?” 

“No. This is Dustin.” 

“ _ Fuck.  _ I mean. Uh. Hi, kiddo. How are you?”

“I’m doing okay. Better than you are, I think.”

“Yeah,” Steve trails off. “Billy still hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“About that,” Dustin starts. “Max wanted me to call you and tell you that Billy wants us all to come over his apartment tomorrow afternoon. And to bring Lars.” 

“Max talked to Billy? He’s okay?” 

“Yeah, Steve. He’s okay. He called her today, said he was somewhere in Illinois but that he’ll be home by tomorrow morning.” 

“Okay. Okay.” Steve paces nervously, rubbing his hair. Lars howls quietly at his feet. “Why couldn’t he have called me himself?”

“I dunno,” Dustin says. “Maybe he didn’t know what to say.” 

* * *

Steve tries not to get dressed up to go to Billy’s apartment, but he finds himself paying extra attention to his hair, to his clothes. “We are gonna see Billy today, Lars,” he says, and Lars begins to squirm with excitement, running to the door.

They pick up Dustin, Max, and Lucas. Lars pants, head out the window, for the entire drive to the apartment above the laundromat. 

When they get there, Steve is surprised to see Joyce’s car there, dropping off Mike, Will, and Eleven. Steve lets Lars out of the car, holding onto his leash tightly as he runs up to greet the kids. Steve leans down, puts his head in Joyce’s car window. “What is going on?” he asks.

“You’ll see,” she says with a reassuring smile. “Go easy on him, Steve. He cares about you very much. But you have to realize this is hard for him.” Steve moves to reply, but she rolls up the passenger window and drives away. Steve follows the kids up to the apartment in a daze, and Max opens the door. 

The second that Lars sees Billy he breaks free of Steve’s hold and bounds over to him, leaping up on him on his hind legs. His tail wags furiously and he barks happily, and Billy looks like he’s a breath away from crying as he leans down, puts his face near Lars’. “Hi, boy,” he murmurs. “I’m happy to see you, too.” 

Steve stands there and looks at him, a sad smile on his face. He knows it’s only been a couple of days, but it feels like so much longer. 

“What are we all doing here?” Mike demands. 

“Well…” Billy starts, sitting cross legged on the floor with Lars sitting beside him. Everyone else moves to sit down, too, settling in random places around the tiny apartment. Steve stays standing. “Steve and I have been keeping something from you. And I didn’t want you all to know about it, because I was afraid.” Billy looks up, holding Steve’s eyes with his brilliant blue. “I've thought a lot about it. And I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not ashamed of it. So, if it’s alright with Steve, if he forgives me for how I’ve acted, I’d like to tell you guys our secret.” 

Steve smiles, wide and beaming, and rushes forward, going down on his knees and wrapping his arms around Billy tightly. “God, I missed you. I'm so sorry.” Steve murmurs and Billy’s strong arms come to wrap around Steve’s waist. After enjoying the embrace for a moment, Steve pulls away slightly, looking into Billy’s eyes. “You’re sure about this?”

“Sure as I’ll ever be, pretty boy.” Steve leans forward and kisses him sweetly, and Billy smiles into the kiss. They only break away at the sound of Max groaning, irritated. 

“This is what this was all about?” Lucas questions, frowning. 

“Yeah, seriously guys?” Mike asks. “Why the big deal just for this?” 

“What? Dustin, did you tell them?” Steve turns and asks, and Dustin shakes his head furiously. 

El pipes up, then, adding in a quiet voice, “I knew it, Steve. I told them. Happy for you.” She gives them a small smile and Steve melts.

 

"Yeah," Will adds, eyes wide as they dart between Steve and Billy. "We are really happy for you guys." 

Billy just laughs and shakes his head, pulling Steve to sit in his lap. 

“Okay, Billy, can you order pizza like you promised now?” Max demands, crossing her arms. Lars immediately perks up, tail wagging and head tilting at the mention of the word  _ pizza _ . 

“Sure, sis,” Billy responds casually, and Max smiles. “That I can do.” 

****  
  
  
  



End file.
